Referendum rules in need of reform

LORD Heseltine has been reported as having made some interesting comments regarding Brexit ( The Yorkshire Post, January 4).

He pointed out that “as the 5248 decision to quit the EU was so close, pro- Europeans must not ‘ lie down’, but follow the example of the SNP”.

As readers may remember, the vote in favour of leaving was actually 31 per cent to leave, 28 per cent to stay, 23 per cent didn’t vote and 18 per cent couldn’t.

So we have left the EU because 31 per cent voted to leave. Any organisation wishing to change any of its important policies should ensure that within the rules of any referendum, there is a legal stipulation that over 50 per cent of the total membership has to vote in favour of any change – especially as such a massive change as has now come top ass.

While I am not much in favour of the SNP, it has a point.

From: Janet McCulloch, Warmsworth, Doncaster.

IN response to James Bovington, I remember the events leading up to our entry into the then ‘ Common Market’, which sounded such a good idea; which indeed it was.

I think the politicians have a lot to answer for in the way it turned out as we were insidiously drawn into a closer political union; not what we voted for, and nobody noticed. However, the deed is now done and my main point is this.

When I went to College in the mid- 60s, I had led quite a sheltered life in that, apart from numerous summer holidays in Scarborough, the furthest I had travelled was one holiday to Cornwall and one to Dumfries and Galloway.

When I arrived at College I was dumbfounded to find one of my colleagues had been on an expedition to Durban. Some had been to Yugoslavia where they told us the residents were trying to buy US dollars from them. There was a student from South Africa and one whose father had been a high official in India.

Many of my year had already travelled widely and those were times when many countries had decidedly dodgy governments. Theseyoung peoplehadorganised themselvesandexplored the world; often doingcharitywork whilethey werethere.

I do not see any reason why our young people cannot live, study and work abroad if they wish. They just need to organise themselves and obtain the necessary permits and qualifications just like young people did in the past.

From: Geoffrey Brooking, Havant, Hampshire.

BORIS Johnson may have lost my support over his capitulation to Brussels as regards fishing and the service sector but he still is, without doubt, the right man to lead the country. On the up side, fishermen are being supported as they prepare for an increase in the levels they are allowed to fish, albeit after the next election. Then we have the trade deals Liz Truss has negotiated for UK companies to trade outside the EU and free from EU bureaucracy.

Both of these examples prove exactly what a money grabbing cartel the EU really are. One whiff of competition and nations are hammered with tariffs.

Then let’s not forget we still have the best Home Secretary in a generation. Compare this to a Labour leader who jumps on a bandwagon faster than I drink my morning latte and led the campaign to overthrow the Brexit vote and one phrase springs straight to mind.

Better to put up with the devil you know than the one you don’t because at least under Boris we can speak, we can preach, and, above all, we can fear no retribution for telling the truth.